Need urgent help? 113 Emergency medical service 66016001 Family doctor advice line
Answers with primary sources

Verified answers for parents

Short, practical answers prepared by the MamaSet editorial team from primary government and WHO sources.

No fictional clinician or specialist is attached to these answers. “Verified” means that the editorial team compared the copy with the linked primary sources on the stated date; it is not an individual diagnosis or medical opinion.
Urgent help

When should I call 113 or 112, and when should I call 66016001?

113 or 112 is for a threat to life or health. 66016001 offers medical advice for ordinary illness or uncertainty outside GP working hours.

Call 113 or 112 immediately if someone is unconscious, not breathing normally, having a seizure, seriously injured, suddenly struggling to breathe or in another situation where life or health may be in danger. The emergency dispatcher will assess the situation and ask focused questions.

The GP consultation line, 66016001, is for ordinary illness and medical advice when your own practice is closed. NVD says it may also be used when you are unsure whether 113 is needed. If the patient deteriorates quickly, do not wait in a consultation queue.

Practical next steps

  1. Give the exact address, door code and a short account of what happened.
  2. State the patient’s age and answer the dispatcher’s questions.
  3. Do not end the call first; follow the instructions given.
If the uncertainty is about a possible threat to life, call 113 or 112.
Sources usedNeatliekamās medicīniskās palīdzības dienests · Kā pareizi izsaukt NMPD mediķu brigādi? ↗Nacionālais veselības dienests · Ģimenes ārstu konsultatīvais tālrunis ↗
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Child health

What should I do if a baby under three months has a temperature above 38 °C?

At this age, fever needs immediate medical assessment; do not try to manage it only with fever medicine.

The BKUS clinical algorithm directs that a baby under three months with a temperature above 38 °C should be referred for hospital observation or admission, using transport appropriate to the baby’s condition. In a very young infant, fever can be the only early sign of a serious infection.

Measure with a reliable thermometer, record the result and time, and contact the GP or duty doctor immediately. If no doctor can be reached, or the baby is unusually sleepy, feeding poorly, struggling to breathe, turning blue, having a seizure or deteriorating quickly, call 113 or 112.

Practical next steps

  1. Record the temperature, time and measurement site.
  2. Prepare details about feeding, wet nappies, alertness and other symptoms.
  3. Do not give a medicine or dose that a clinician has not confirmed for this baby.
A temperature above 38 °C in a baby under three months requires immediate medical assessment.
Sources usedBērnu klīniskā universitātes slimnīca · Drudža vadība bērniem līdz 3 mēnešu vecumam ↗Neatliekamās medicīniskās palīdzības dienests · Kā pareizi izsaukt NMPD mediķu brigādi? ↗
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Safe sleep

How should I set up a safe sleep space for an infant?

Place the baby on their back in a separate, flat and firm sleep space without a pillow, soft toys or loose objects.

SPKC’s child-safety material identifies stomach or side sleeping, an unsafe cot, unnecessary objects, tobacco smoke and overheating as preventable risks. The mattress should be smooth and firm, and a pillow is not needed during the first year.

Place the baby on their back for every sleep. Keep toys, pillows, loose cloths and anything that can cover the airway out of the sleep space. Protect the baby from smoke and overheating. Follow individual instructions from the child’s clinician if the baby has a specific medical condition.

Practical next steps

  1. Check that the mattress is flat, firm and fits the cot.
  2. Keep the sleep space empty and place the baby on their back every time.
  3. Discuss any uncertainty with the family doctor or midwife.
If the baby is not breathing normally, turns blue or cannot be woken, call 113 or 112 immediately.
Sources usedSlimību profilakses un kontroles centrs · Bērnam droša vide ↗Neatliekamās medicīniskās palīdzības dienests · Kā pareizi izsaukt NMPD mediķu brigādi? ↗
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Feeding

Does an exclusively breastfed baby need additional water in the first six months?

WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months — no other food or fluid, including water, unless a clinician advises otherwise for that baby.

In the WHO definition, exclusive breastfeeding means breast milk only, with no other drinks or foods, including water. The recommendation covers the first six months and includes responsive feeding according to the baby’s cues during the day and night.

This is not a reason to blame a mother when breastfeeding is not possible or a family chooses another safe feeding method. A premature or unwell baby, poor weight gain, too few wet nappies or concern about milk intake requires individual assessment by a midwife, GP or paediatrician.

Practical next steps

  1. Offer the breast in response to early feeding cues.
  2. When concerned, assess alertness, wet nappies and weight with a professional rather than relying only on feed duration.
  3. Prepare formula only according to the manufacturer’s and clinician’s instructions.
If a newborn refuses feeds, is difficult to wake or appears dehydrated, seek medical help promptly.
Sources usedWorld Health Organization · Breastfeeding ↗
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Healthcare in Latvia

When and how should I choose a family doctor for a newborn?

Contact the intended practice during pregnancy to confirm registration, territory, the first assessment process and out-of-hours contacts.

NVD states that family-doctor practices provide newborn and child care. A doctor may not refuse the child or spouse of an existing patient when that person lives in the doctor’s core territory. Capacity and territory should still be confirmed before discharge rather than dealt with only after the birth.

Call the practice, give the baby’s expected home address and ask how registration and the first newborn assessment will work. NVD publishes doctors by territory. If the territorial doctor refuses registration without grounds, NVD asks families to contact it on the free information number 80001234 or in writing.

Practical next steps

  1. Choose a practice for the actual home address and contact it before birth.
  2. Record opening hours, acute-care hours and the home-visit process.
  3. Save 66016001 for advice outside practice hours.
Do not wait for registration in an acute threat to health or life — call 113 or 112.
Sources usedNacionālais veselības dienests · Ģimenes ārsta prakse ↗Nacionālais veselības dienests · Ģimenes ārsti atbilstoši teritorijām ↗Nacionālais veselības dienests · Ģimenes ārstu konsultatīvais tālrunis ↗
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Vaccination

Where can I check Latvia’s current childhood vaccination schedule?

Use SPKC’s vaccination schedule for the current year and agree the child’s individual plan with the family doctor.

The SPKC page “Vaccination for residents” publishes Latvia’s 2026 childhood schedule. It is a safer reference than an old leaflet, social post or another family’s timetable because the national schedule can be updated.

The family doctor considers age, previous doses, health and the need for a delayed or catch-up schedule. If a dose is late, do not restart or redesign the schedule yourself; contact the practice for an individual continuation plan.

Practical next steps

  1. Check the current SPKC schedule before the appointment.
  2. Bring the child’s vaccination records.
  3. Ask the family doctor about contraindications, expected reactions and aftercare.
If the child has breathing difficulty, altered consciousness or another rapidly severe reaction after vaccination, call 113 or 112.
Sources usedSlimību profilakses un kontroles centrs · Vakcinācija iedzīvotājiem — bērnu vakcinācijas kalendārs 2026 ↗Neatliekamās medicīniskās palīdzības dienests · Kā pareizi izsaukt NMPD mediķu brigādi? ↗
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Maternal health

When are postpartum blues no longer simply a passing feeling?

If low mood, anxiety or detachment becomes stronger, does not lift, or prevents sleeping, eating or caring for the mother or baby, contact a health professional.

SPKC explains that postpartum blues usually resolve within a few weeks, while for some women symptoms intensify and develop into depression. Signs can include persistent low mood, hopelessness, anxiety, changes in sleep or appetite, difficulty concentrating and reduced everyday functioning.

Tell a GP, midwife, gynaecologist or mental-health professional; help is appropriate even when the mother is unsure how to label what she feels. A close person can arrange the appointment, attend and take over daily tasks, but cannot replace professional assessment.

Practical next steps

  1. Tell one trusted person how you actually feel.
  2. Contact a GP or another care professional and describe the symptoms and their impact on daily life.
  3. Ask someone to help with the baby and household until the consultation.
Thoughts of suicide or harming oneself or the baby, confusion or loss of contact with reality are emergencies — do not leave the mother alone and call 113 or 112.
Sources usedSlimību profilakses un kontroles centrs · Depresija ↗Neatliekamās medicīniskās palīdzības dienests · Kā pareizi izsaukt NMPD mediķu brigādi? ↗
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Childbirth

What can a partner do during labour?

A partner can offer emotional and practical support, aid communication and protect the mother’s choices, but should not decide for her or obstruct medical care.

WHO recommends a companion of the woman’s choice during labour. Practical support can include reassurance, hand-holding, massage, position changes, offering water and helping communication with the care team. Who is present and how they help remains the woman’s choice.

Check the current rules of the Latvian facility before birth. In the birth room, the companion must respect consent, privacy and staff safety instructions. They can request a plain explanation and remind staff of stated preferences, but do not give consent or make decisions for the mother when she can decide herself.

Practical next steps

  1. Discuss before labour which support is welcome and what is unhelpful.
  2. Check the unit’s rules and pack the companion’s own essentials.
  3. During labour ask regularly: touch, words, silence or shall I call the midwife?
In an emergency, follow staff instructions and do not obstruct care.
Sources usedWorld Health Organization · Every woman’s right to a companion of choice during childbirth ↗
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This material does not replace consultation with a doctor, midwife or another qualified professional. In an emergency, call 113 or 112.
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